Larry H. Miller Week 8 high school star athletes of the week
Football
Tyler West, Crimson Cliffs (Sr.)
A star on the baseball diamond and the track, Tyler West is proving that he can make a big impact on the football field as well for the 7-1 Mustangs.
“Tyler is what most coaches would call a joystick player. He’s also a joy to coach,” said Crimson Cliffs coach Wayne Alofipo.
West didn’t come out for football until last season, but his speed — he ran a 10.6 in the 100 meters last spring — has made him a threat in the return game and at wide receiver.
For the season he’s caught 25 passes for 382 yards and five touchdowns, including a season-high 132 yards last week against Hurricane.
“His commitment to improving his speed and training in football again in the offseason has definitely transitioned to the field this year for us. We are able to create multiple mismatches with Tyler’s speed but you also see his baseball skills as he tracks footballs so well when in the air.
“He’s definitely a game changer for us and he just continues to get better and better each week as his IQ in the game grows alongside his confidence,” said Alofipo.
Volleyball
Maddie Adams, Parowan (Sr.)
All season opponents have found it difficult to score points against 2A’s top-ranked Parowan, and the leadership and play of senior Maddie Adams has been a huge reason why.
Adams has record 197 digs and is passing a 2.13 in serve receive for far this season for the undefeated Rams (14-0).
“I’ve coached Maddie since she was a young girl. She has the competitive fire that you wish all your athletes had. She’s a great leader on the court. Her speed and fierceness are the backbone of our defense,” said Parowan coach Macey Yardley.
The libero was a first-team all-stater last year after leading Parowan to a 29-1 record and a state championship. She finished with 337 digs and 32 aces a year ago.
Girls soccer
Jocelyn Wright, Mountain Ridge (Jr.)
Jocelyn Wright scored her 14th goal of the season last week in Mountain Ridge’s 2-1 win over Salt Lake Academy, a goal that helped the Sentinels clinch the region title.
The junior finished the regular season with 14 goals and three assists, and helped Mountain Ridge clinch the No. 4 seed for the 6A state tournament which gets underway this week.
“Jocelyn has a knack of coming up big when the team needs it most. She plays hard on both sides of the ball and is a huge reason that we won the region title this fall. She has been a three-year starter for our team and always lays it all out on the pitch whenever she is in the game. With 14 goals and three assists for this season she is among the leaders in 6A and just continues to get better,” said Mountain Ridge coach Mark Osborne.
Earlier this season she recorded a hat trick against Herriman in a 6-2 win.
Boys cross-country
EJ Lee, Morgan (Jr.)
A year ago at the 3A cross-country state championships, then-sophomore EJ Lee was the top placing underclassman as he finished in fifth place.
He’s only got better since that race, and figures to be one of the 3A runners to beat at the state meet later this month.
Lee won the Region 13 championship at the Cottonwood Complex on Friday, finishing first with a time of 16:07.0. He was 11 seconds faster than the runner-up from Grantsville.
“EJ has incredible work ethic and has put a lot of time over the last few years and has worked so hard to earn this region title. He has big goals this year and has done everything he can to reach them,” said Morgan coach Brennen Fuller.
Girls cross-country
Sonja Preston, Park City (So.)
Park City’s Sonja Preston earned her first career victory last weekend and picked the perfect time to do so.
The sophomore won the Region 10 championships at Cottonwood Complex on Saturday, finishing with a 22-second cushion over the runner-up. Preston’s time was 18:30.8.
“Sonja embodies everything great about running. She has a terrific attitude, works hard and leads others in the right direction — always with a huge smile on her face. She makes running enjoyable for all those around her,” said Park City coach Steve Cuttitta.
Last year at the 5A state meet, Preston was the third-highest placing freshman in the field, finishing in 29th place. She’ll be looking to improve upon that finish at the 4A state meet in a few weeks.
Girls tennis
Bella Lewis, Skyridge (Jr.)
After coming up short last season in the 6A first singles state championship, Bella Lewis took care of business a year later.
Lewis won all four of her matches at last week’s state tournament in straight sets, including only dropping two games prior to the final against Layton’s Tia Christopulos.
In that final, Lewis prevailed 6-3, 6-3, and in the process she helped Skyridge win a fourth straight team state championship.
“The qualities that make Bella such an amazing athlete are that she trains extremely hard perfecting her craft year around, she is a true competitor, she is respectful to her opponents and herself, and she is fearless. We love having Bella on our team and we congratulate her on wining 6A first singles this weekend,” said Skyridge coach Ben Armstrong.
Boys golf
Cayson VanBeekum, Ben Lomond (Jr.)
Ben Lomond junior Cayson VanBeekum shot a two-day 139 (67-72) at Schneiter’s Bluff and then Glen Eagle to capture the Region 13 champion by one stroke over Morgan’s Lance Loughton.
VanBeekum shot in the 60s in three of his last four matches to finishing with a 71.45 scoring average in region. Loughton had the top scoring average at 70.20. The two will be among the golfers to beat at the 3A state tournament next week at Meadowbrook.
“As a high school golf coach, I get to work with many student-athletes and witness first hand their development throughout their high school career. Cayson is the type of golfer every coach dreams of,” said Ben Lomond coach Craig Peterson.
“This year he made a conscious decision to play smart golf. His mental game has come such a long way in the past two years. He evaluates the course conditions prior to taking his shot. On the very few times he is unsure and asks me for advice he almost always has the answer and is just asking for confirmation. Cayson has all the tools to take him to the next level, and I am looking forward to seeing him compete next week at state.”
